


The Curious Death of Vorfreude

by hanihyunsu



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Boarding School, Canon Dead Character, Dark Academia, Dead Poets Society AU, Gen, Good Sister Vanya Hargreeves, Hurt Diego Hargreeves, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Literature, Multi, Poetry, References to Drugs, Talking To Dead People, Teenage Rebellion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2020-10-28 15:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20781050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanihyunsu/pseuds/hanihyunsu
Summary: When the Hargreeves found a book with scribbles of what was called the Dead Poets Society meetings in a library, they couldn't hold their curiosity for long. Soon, the seven formed their own meetings...but at what cost?//AU where the Umbrella Academy is a legitimate academy, dark academia style. Based off of Dead Poets Society (1989); could be considered a crossover.





	1. The Dead, The Poet, and The Society

**Author's Note:**

> Let's make it into a dark academia, yeah?   
//

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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ  
_You and The Things You Do - Fever Blankets_

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* * *

One could say she would have her neck in painful aches if she kept staring up too long. Her ears would be blocked, even if she knew in herself that she cannot partake any mission no matter how long and hard she stared at the mission board.

_High-risk. Radioactive. Fourteen people caved in,_ it said in threatening bold letters. It was connected to a push pin in the city map plastered on the bulletin board, marked by blue to signify the mission being pending.

Vanya heard that the radioactive explosion caused a nearby cave to collapse and trapping people in it, and only by the second the government called to the Academy for help, shall then selected few were to be released to be the day's new heroes.

God, how she wished she was one of the few to go. _How she wished._

"**Vanya! Vanya!**"

"**H-huh?**"

Her sudden turn to the left made her eyes dark out for a second, only feeling a hand grab her by the arm and got along with some sort of commotion. Before she knew it, Allison got her along with the squad trodding the hallways like they own the place.

"**Wha..what's going on?**"

She turned past Allison, seeing Luther leading the group as he clutched some type of brown-spined book and and marched along. Klaus and Ben were beside Allison, barely keeping up with Luther's longer strides. Five and Diego were also among them, faces just as determined.

Well, if Diego was willing to have the same goal as Luther, then it must be interesting enough.

The seven of them reached the end of the hallway, stepping out to the outside where the other Academy students went along with their lives. The vast field of grass seemed to stretch for so long until it reached the woods, where she never even set foot upon. 

"**Uhm, where are we going?**" she asked, walking on her own after Allison let her settle on the pace. The wind was cool against their faces, but only Luther's head turned to awknowledge her question.

"**Watch, and listen,**" he said confidently, smiling and raising the book up with both hands. Vanya watched as the group finally stopped right in front of a trenchcoated man. As she looked up to catch a glimpse of the man's face, she had noticed everyone tense up.

She finally saw the monocle. She straightened up before she knew it.

"**Dad, what's the Dead Poets Society?**" Luther asked.

Vanya glanced briefly at the others, seeking answers in their gazes if there were any. Allison smiled softly at her in comfort.

"**That's quite a question, Number One. Where did you get that idea?**"

Luther cleared his throat, looking at them in inquiry. As if she was hallucinating, Vanya saw Diego nod. He then held up the book he had which their adoptive father, Reginald Hargreeves, received and inspected.

They all stood through a solid few minutes in anticipation. This had been one of the few things Vanya wished she wasn't involved with. It was just quite ironic, _just so annoyingly ironic_, that she was excluded in the missions and the entire superhero talk, but it just happens that her name was involved with corporal punishments and a moment such as this.

She was brought back to the present when Allison yanked her sleeve and caught her attention. Vanya looked up to find Sir Reginald taking a few steps ahead, facing the sun and the forests beyond, pushing the book on Diego's chest.

Luther took a step forward as well.

"**What do they do there?**"

"**The dead poets, they are a forgotten fragment of time, but reckless they are. They gather in this Indian cave at night which no one knows where, chant their words of emotions so passionately it's like honey on their tongue,**" he said, looking far off into the distance, "**and then they would return to this very academy, as if they weren't rebels of their own right.**"

Klaus and Ben shared a glance.

"**They are shameless students of this academy, Number One. They are a _disgrace_ to the school's name.**"

Diego stepped beside Luther, contemplating his words carefully.

"**What...what happened to them?**"

The wind blew on their faces a couple more times before their father answered again. His coat wisps past his tall figure, and it settled back before he answered.

"**They are punished, banished, expelled.**"

The children shared glances, starting to relax with their stances. That was something they expected as an answer, anyway. Literally everything you do had a corresponding punishment within the Umbrella Academy's walls. Ben started to kick some pebbles in boredom, which Vanya noticed had hit some other kid in the leg. Ben apologized to the other boy in panicked, hushed whispers.

Before any of the others could construct more questions, especially Diego who seemed to be more concerned of this than he ever was to any other subject, Sir Reginald turned back to them and marched back inside in silence. Their gazes followed the man until the doors closed behind him, the white noise of his very presence drowned out by the laughter of the other kids.

Vanya shivered as the breeze seemed colder than it was before.

"**So that's...weird,**" Klaus commented, smirking at his own amusement. "**He didn't tell us off.**"

"**It _was_ Luther who asked,**" Allison said, crossing her arms.

"**Let's just go, everyone.**"

They started to walk back to the buildings, past the slightly overgrown grass. Allison immediately clasps her arm lazily around hers, making her jump from the sudden contact. Before she could ask, however...

"**I say we go_...tonight._**_"_

All footsteps paused, and all heads start to turn back to Diego.

He looked right past them, yet not particularly at anything. Luther looked at him as if he was losing every braincell he had every second. Their leader took a step closer to him but Klaus was faster on his feet.

"**_Whoop,_ there it is, Dee! You said it faster than I assumed you would,**" he hummed in awe, leaning an arm over his shoulder. Diego furrowed his eyebrows at his weirdness, which was shared by everyone else.

Luther snapped first, gently tapping Klaus away. "**Wait, Diegoー_excuse me, Klaus_ーwhat do you mean 'go tonight'?**"

The Hispanic boy faced him daringly, pushing Klaus's arm over his shoulder. He kept his small smirk on before he turned on his heel to face the others, who were still staring in confusion. Even Five seemed to be genuinely called off by Diego's startling statement.

"**I say we reform this society. Tonight, at the cave. I...actually know where it is,**" he said, stepping forward. "**Who's in?**"

"**Wait, wait, wait, Dad just said-**"

"_**I'm in.**_"

Allison was interrupted, stunning everyone. They watched as Diego smile at Five and turn to the others for their answers. Allison's mouth parted in speechlessness. Even Vanya paused as Five stood beside Diego confidently.

"**Anyone else?**"

"**Wait, why?**" Luther asked, "**Dad literally told us the former society was punished. I believe it is a miracle we even found their old book. We could get...punished, for this.**"

"_**No shit,**_" Klaus whispered as an answer, receiving an elbow to the ribs from a nearby standing Allison. "**Ow!**"

"**Well, see here, Lu.**" Five craned his head to the taller boy. "**The question isn't what the Dead Poets Society is. The real question we just had _you_ ask _him_ is why did a certain Sir Reginald Hargreeves know. You didn't realize until now, did you?**"

"**There it is!**" Klaus clapped.

Vanya caught Ben's stilled gaze just a few feet behind her and Allison as the conversation mellowed out once more. Their leader, the great Number One: Spaceboy, seemed legitimately stunned by Five's remark. Diego smiled at this.

"**So, anyone else? Is it just me with Five and Klaus?**"

"**Someone join us! We could make this cult work with enough members, really.**" Klaus made his way next to Ben and dramatically draped an arm over his figure, startling the shorter kid.

"**I didn't sign up for this.**"

Diego ignored this and proceeded to look at the two of then expectantly. Allison cleared her throat and frowned.

"**I don't know. I need to think-**"

Suddenly, the bell rang. All the students paused and jogged back to the door, including the seven.

"**What about you, Ben?**" Diego reached for the shorter boy, making Klaus hiss. He slapped his hands draped over Ben as a retort.

"**I...I...Diego, I don't know...**" Ben looked down to the grass, trying to get out of Klaus's grip just so he could get to class as soon as possible.

"**Should we include girls?**" Klaus asked.

"**Only Vanya and Alli would do. No one else is allowed to know, let alone participate.**"

Vanya turned to Luther as she jogged, confusion filling her head for a second before it sank in.

"**Woah, is that for real, Lu?**" Klaus smirked.

"**That's my...condition. I'm only joining to ensure everyone's safety.**"

Vanya shrugged. She would happen to get dragged sooner or later anyway. Plus, she seemed to genuinely get curious about that cult society thing, anyway. Allison, beside her jogging as well, smiled to herself.

"**Yup, I'm joining now, too.**" She raised a hand to salute to Diego in confirmation. They finally reached the doorway, with Luther holding the door open for everyone like an old chaperone.

"**Ben, you should come.**" Vanya smiled at the smaller boy.

"**I mean, I almost got 4 mistakes in Math and I need to study-**"

"**Nah, joining will actually make you smarter,**" Diego added, adding in his best version of a convincing voice. Vanya had found it hilarious, but she kept her laughter in just in case he had knives inside his pockets and vest.

Klaus took one last glance at him before he took off. "**Come on, Ben, step up. Let's put you out of your misery.**"

And so her guess was correct. Ben uttered an almost inaudible "_Fine, I guess_" before running inside to sprint to their next class. They all went their separate ways to their own classes, while she made a bee-line to the library.

Sometimes, she thought it was a good thing she had no powers to take care of. She had one hour vacants everyday because of it.

As she entered the library, she immediately set on to find some interesting yearbooks to read on. That Society thing seemed fascinating. Now, to find the past Dead Poets...


	2. Radio Free Canada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five, Ben and Vanya found out that their radio works. The others discuss the meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Let's just say that their receiver is just something like a baby monitor. That's the only radiowave transmission thing I get (aside from the battery and coin one), haha.

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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ  
_Fool - Frankie Cosmos_

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* * *

"**Any transmission?**" 

Ben shook his head, holding onto the headphones by his ear.

"**Uh, no. I don't think so.**" He placed it down and gave it to Vanya, who frowned at their still-dysfunctional radio.

Five took a sharp inhale before adjusting a few more screws and wires on their small handmade receiver. Vanya placed down the headphones to the balcony for a short while, fearing another set of those blood-curdling feedbacks.

"**Will you really go to Diego's dead poet cult thing?**" Ben asked meekly. "**I mean, is that a serious thing we will actually do?**"

"**Yes,**" Five answered shortly. The other two awaited for a continuation, but it never came. Vanya took it for herself to speak.

"**Well, it was the first time One and Two agreed on something. I just...I guess it was something interesting at least,**" she said.

"**So here's what we all are going to do tonight, for clarification,**" Ben said, "**One, we sneak out preparing poems and flashlights then we go to that cave in the forest and read poetry there forーas the book saysーuntil we decide to come back.**" 

"**Yes, I think,**" Vanya said, nodding. "**Luther will discuss it later, don't worry.**" 

The three stood over the Academy's highest floor, the balcony of the classroom building. The pre-winter wind was chilling straight to the bone, but it was a whole other level up there. However, they endured it. Five remained silent with the radio receiver, holding up a screwdriver and a Math notepad.

Suddenly, the receiver blinked red at Five's hand, catching their attention. Vanya quickly wore the headphones and listened intently.

"**It's...wait a second,**" she said, waiting. The three watched with their breaths caught in their lungs, waiting in anticipation.

**"STATIC!"**

_Static...?_

Ben slowly looked at Five, already finding the other boy's eyes at him. Vanya slowly turned around, slowly pushing the headphones on her head.

"**IT'S STATIC!**" The three screamed in joy, jumping around and pushing her arms to the sky.

"**Finally...!**" Five grabbed the transmitter and started to tap near it, Vanya nodding along the morse code.

"**It works! It works!**" She grinned in success, launching into a hug with Ben. "**I can't believe it!**"

The studyhall bell rang by the next building, visible at the dorm rooftop. Five smiled one last time at their handmade radio transmitter and gathered all their things.

"**We got to write this down somewhere.**" 

"**Let me guess, a manifesto?**"

"**No, Ben. _A diary entry_.**"

"**No way, Five,**" he chuckled, hitting Five gently at his sarcasm.

Ben and Vanya followed down the stairs, still exploding in success as they descended to study hall. Five held to the stairs railings carefully, trying to even out his breathing yet keeping a small confident and satisfied smile on.

The thing is, they had been working on their small personal project of a radio transmitter since the beginning of the first semester..._a year ago_. With limited knowledge on the specifics of how to build one, they mostly learned using library science textbooks and trial and errors. It was a tragedy and a comedy packed in one, if ever Ben would be honest.

It was just so fun to know that they finally found a streak of luck in the first week of their second year at the Academy. Somehow, the academics weren't yet so strict and serious that they had enough time to pay attention to their radio project, but Sir Reginald's orientation speech and official commencement of the semester could start anytime, anyday.

_Still, this might be a good sign,_ Ben thought. _This year might be exciting._

The one week gap for the students' adjustments to the boarding school environment was also an excuse to hang out with two of the most level-headed Hargreeves there was: Five and Seven. Don't get him wrong, Ben had liked Klaus more than anythingーhe was a great listener tooーbut having radio geeks to talk to, not to mention _sober,_ is also nice.

They reached the hallway, bee-lining to the double doors they all knew by heart.

Five pushed open the doors to study hall proudly, catching some other students' attention. Most of them were already seated down with their own friendship groups, and it didn't take him long to spot Luther's combed blonde hair sticking at the back of the room.

Diego was sitting in silence at one end of the table, while Klaus was staring at his open science textbook while snacking on some candy. Allison was writing something in silence, nodding along to whatever Luther was ranting about. When Ben glanced over, it seemed she was already composing some sort of poetry.

_Right,_ the society thing.

Ben and Vanya headed to the vacant seats at the next empty table, opening their new school books that Luther had brought for them. The former, however, was snatched to sit beside Klaus instead, squished between him and Luther's big body in the packed seating.

He stayed silent.

"**Where have you been?**" Allison turned to them briefly before looking back down to write on the first page of her notebook.

"**We just discovered how to communicate via radio transmissions using a handmade transmitter and receiver, a success after months of learning through errors,**" Five sat down next to her, on the other end across Diego who is snacking on Klaus' candy bowl.

"**A radio _what?_**" Diego asked.

"**_Transmitter_, but I doubt you can spell that.**" Five grabbed a handful of candy and sat next to Allison casually.

Luther immediately placed a hand blocking Diego as he slammed his book shut and stood. Five didn't bat an eye, casually unwrapping a candy to pop in his mouthas Diego muttered angrily. He passively opened a notebook and started to read his notes, ignoring him.

"**Now that we're all here,**" Luther said, tapping on the table to catch everybody's attention, "**I would like the discuss the formalities of the...society meeting.**"

"**Oh yeah?**" Allison whispered, "**Keep it down then.**"

She looked around cautiously for their father, who is fortunately out of sight.

"**I'm sorry,**" Luther said. He brought out a notebook and gestured to everyone to lean closer. Klaus rolled his eyes dramatically, attempting to walk away until Diego yanked him back to sit.

_"_**_We_ started this, _you_ can't walk out,**" he whispered threateningly.

Luther opened the notebook to a page seemed to be filled with notes. He tapped on it with a pencil.

"**I got these notes from the book we found. I think this is how the meetings are formally commencedーby reading this,**" he said, pointing at the first paragraph. 

Allison took a glance over and raised a brow. "**Where is this cave again?**"

"**Just...follow the stream to the waterfall. It's right there,**" Diego explained.

"**Oh, I don't know, Dee. It's starting to sound dangerous.**"

"**Isn't that miles away?**" Luther asked in concern.

Diego took a deep breath and looked at him aggravatedly. "**Then _don't go._**_"_

The two boys fell silent, starting to stare each other down. Klaus and Ben sat silently between the two, looking at Allison for help. Even Five looked at her in inquiry before looking back down to unwrap another candy. Before either boy could raise a closed fist, she tapped her pencil back on the notebook and cleared her throat, effective in breaking the tension.

"**Anyways, we're supposed to read poetry right? Take turns and stuff?**" she asked.

Ben gulped.

**"Yeah."**

As Allison and Luther went to discuss the question, Diego flipped the notebook over and went through the bullets with Klaus. Their leader's handwriting had always been messy in how the cursive had been written, but it was one of the handwritings they most often see. They scanned the pages with ease until they settled on a non-cursive phrase at the margin of the notebook.

_Carpe Diem_

Klaus liked the taste of those exotic words in his mouth. _That must be the honey Dad was talking about._

Ben took this as a moment to escape from the narrow space in that bench and sit next to Vanya instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...is much harder than I thought. I picked a very bad timing to start this project.


	3. Change The System

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wassap, suckers. I’m back.

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_ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ_  
_No Shows by Gerard Way _

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_ılı.lıllılıı.ıllı_

* * *

"**Well, that's unfortunate, I might say.**" 

"**Uh, what?**" 

Five looked up from the floor, his mouth hanging open as he held his upteenth unwrapped candy to eat. He had been chewing on the same candy brand since study hall yesterday. The two briskwalked along the empty hallways to the great hall, at 7 in the morning, officially coming to their first day of this year's semester. 

And for the first time in their entire lives, the two of them were late. 

And it just had to be the first day of school. 

"**I think it's unfortunate that not all seven of us might be attending the meeting tonight,**" Five said, fixing the buttons of his shirt as he started to jog. 

"**What do you-**" 

"**Vanya can't make it. She has to practice for her orchestra audition piece,**" Five explained in a low voice, "**and Ben doesn't seem too enthusiastic.**" 

"**Don't get me wrong, but Ben had always been that way.**" Luther jogged alongside him, focused on wearing his jacket and fixing his odd collar. Five glared at him. 

"**And I shall get you wrong, Luther,**" he spat, "**because what you see isn't everything.**" 

"...**Huh?**" Luther stared in confusion. 

"**Nevermind. We're late.**" 

Five looked back down and fixed his cufflinks, with Luther noticing a thin black band inside, much like a bracelet of sorts. It looks familiar yet he can't put it exactly. 

_Maybe Five started to get into accessorizing. _

Luther frowned at his brother's comment and decided that it's best to remain silent for the rest of their walk <strike>run</strike>. He didn't even mean to annoy him, out of all people. He turned his attention to fix his tie in silence. 

They turned one last corner and saw the line of students proceeding to the double door. Five placed his candy wrapper inside his pocket and went to the back of the line and grabbed the banner of Discipline, while Luther went to the front to grab the pillar of Tradition, along with Diego who held Excellence and Ben who held Honor. 

He fixed his tie one last time and grabbed hold of the banner just in time for Pogo to walk in, glancing at everyone before clearing his throat. 

"**Banners up!**"

Luther sighed in relief as he made it just in time. The bagpipes signalled the beginning of their entrance, the doors opening and leading them downstairs to the hall. The pews were filled with both old and new students mixed in the rows, dressed in the school's official robe. 

He glanced at some new students seated at the front, the younger ones with quite a number of them too. Luther hoped for the better that school year for everyone. 

_That is, considering that the dead poet society thing won't ruin it_. He seriously hoped it won't get him in trouble. 

The four of them reached the front, stopping just before the podium where their father sat nearby ready to give his opening speech. He wore the same old suit he wore, and yet Luther can't help but feel something was different with the man. 

_Oh right, his professional business façade. _

Sir Reginald smiled at him, or perhaps a man just past his shoulder, before looking back at the crowd. The bagpipes ceased and the headmaster and their so-called father rose from his seat and to the podium. 

"**One hundred years ago, in 1899, 41 children had been born to be great, famed all over the world and praised of their peculiarity, starting this association that soon evolved to be this very academy. Children, what are the four pillars?**" 

The students rose, faces stern and squinting at the words embroidered at their banners. The new kids followed albeit their intial confusion.

"**Tradition, honor, discipline, excellence,**" the room chorused. 

"**In the past year, the Umbrella Academy formed and molded excellence to live up to being the best preparatory school in the country. This year, we aim to maintain this achievement, and even exceed our high reccomendation rate.**" 

Luther took a deep breath, enduring the speech he had heard so many times during the rehearsal. Five, standing across the aisle at the other side with Diego, seemed grumpier than usual, almost glaring. 

He decided not to comment on it, or anything in the orientation, ever again. 

* * *

_And so, the first lunch of school_, Klaus mentally sighed at the notion. 

The bell rang, the doors of each classroom opening and flooding out a steady stream of students on their way to the cafeteria or the student lounge. Among the hushed conversations... 

"**Slow down, slow down, you phalanx of pubescence!**" Pogo made his way up the stairwell against the one-way stream of children, struggling to go against the tide. "**Number Four! Number Six!**" 

Klaus almost stopped in his tracks and got walked over when he heard his number. Ben pulled him to remain upright in the middle of the crowd, facing their father's advisor. 

"**Yes, Pogo?**" 

"**Number Two and the others ask for you to come to the cafeteria as soon as you can,**" he said.

The two nodded speechlessly, carried on by the crowd away from the advisor. _First day crowding really is a pain in the ass_, Klaus thought. 

"**Ow!**" Ben groaned. 

_Quite literally sometimes._ Everyone was just so confused. 

The two reached the ground floor and bee-lined to the cafeteria doors. The teachers weren't at their tables, but Klaus knew that they would be there by dinner. _Thank God lunch is made free_. He relaxed and put on his best mischievous face. 

"**I know that face,**" Ben whispered beside him, much to his surprise. "**What are you plotting, Klaus?"**

"**Oh, you want to know beforehand?**" he replied, smiling at Ben. The other sighs in defeat. 

He decided to pull Ben's sleeve and go to their dorms instead, ignoring the others and whatever they could have wanted. 

"**Lunch...is always free,**" he chanted as he blocked out Ben's questions and felt the brownie wrappers in his pocket. Ben almost seemed to catch up and widened his eyes. 

"**Klaus, no. What--God, _no_,**" Ben groaned, resisting against the force of Klaus dragging him upstairs. The taller boy looked at him in question, tilting his head. Ben facepalms. 

"**You're high.**" 

Klaus blinked at him wistfully. 

"**No, I'm not. I'm sober.**" 

Ben rolled his eyes and takes Klaus's hand from his sleeve to slap him across the face with his own hand. The slap made the taller boy gasp in surprise. 

"**What was that for?**" he asked as Ben grabbed him instead and went back to the direction of the lunch hall. 

"**I don't know where you learned to act sober, but I'm not buying it. Let's go eat actual food.**" 

"**Brownies is an actual food.**" 

Ben shivered. "**It has _weed_ in it**," he whispers. 

Klaus scoffs, shaking him away to no avail. "**It's still great.**" 

When they made it back to the lunch hall, Ben let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw Luther, Allison and Vanya at their table. _Ah, finally, someone to share the burden of Klaus with. _

* * *

“**Carpe Diem,**” Luther mumbled just as Ben and Klaus finally appeared, “**what does that mean?**” 

“**That's...seize the day,**” Vanya answered, staring intently at her music piece for an upcoming play. She looks up and meets Luther’s eyes. “**I kind of expected you would know.**” 

“**Well I don’t, but thank you for telling me,**” the leader said. “**Where’s Two and Five?**” 

Allison, Vanya, Ben and Klaus chorused in shrugging. Luther sighs and continues eating his mashed potatoes. 

“**You know, this doesn’t seem so bad. Diego told me he had Sir Reginald and the teachers secured. We can go out unseen by 11 or 11:30.**” 

Klaus looks at him with a known smile across his face. Ben takes a deep breath and takes his cue to get his own food tray, and possibly, get Klaus’s food to eat too. Luther felt Klaus’s stare at him and he returned it with the same intensity. 

“**What?**” he asked, uncomfortable. 

“**I just had a very, _very_ good idea.**” 

Allison and Vanya also looked at him upon this comment. The three shared confused glances. 

“**Which is?**” Allison took it upon herself to ask. Luther raised a brow as Klaus cleared his throat and raised an arms to talk animatedly. 

“**This is a very good idea, you all should thank me. Wanna hear it? Here it is,**” he takes a deep breath, “**We should have code names.**” 

"**Isn't Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Seance and the others not enough for you?**" 

They all looked up to Diego who appeared just behind Klaus, holding his food tray. Luther noticed droplets dripping just at the tips of his hair. Dad must have had him practice holding his breath at the tank again. 

When he saw his pruned fingers when he sat next to Allison, Luther’s assumption is proven correct. Diego immediately dwarfed down his food the moment he sat down. 

“**Well, obviously no. I need to find myself a new name. Not The Seance or Klaus. Just wait for it. ****I’ll get to it and it will be spontaneous!**” Klaus announced, just as when Ben appeared with two food trays. 

“**Eat up, Klaus,**” he said, “**And no. Please don’t touch me.**” 

Klaus leaned onto the table and ignores the food tray. 

“**Come on, Luther. _Agree with it~_**” he sing-songed, grinning from ear to ear. Luther felt himself shiver again. 

“**What are you planning?**” Luther rolls his eyes and ran his fork over the mashed potatoes. Allison finished her food beside him, earliest and quickest as usual. 

“**Just because I—come on, that’s unfair. If it’s me, it’s because I’m planning something. _Great_,**” Klaus took a spoonful of his food with a pout. 

“**Klaus, aren’t you hungry? Shut up.**” 

With Diego’s voice, the entire table fell into silence. With Allison’s weird silence, Diego’s fingertips and Klaus’s odd scent, he focused on finishing his meal despite his arms cramping. 

Sometimes, he wished they weren’t heroes. 

“**Let’s meet at the bridge by 11.**” 

Everyone turned to Diego. In a silent agreement of prioritizing rest and food, they all nodded. 

“**11 sharp it is.**” 

* * *

Five shifted for the nth time on Diego’s bed. It was the Kraken’s training session before lunch, and given his room was empty, he just had to steal a glance at the book once more. 

So far, it was just yearbook cutouts of former members and some of their poetry. Much to his surprise, there wasn’t any Reginald Hargreeves on the list of the Dead Poets. Nor was there any mention of him at all, nor any handwriting that looked similar. 

Five had always thought the Academy’s headmaster is 100% suspicious. The moment he gained enlightenment at age 9, all he ever thought about is “how” and “why”. Depending on how those are answered will he think about the “where” and “when”s. 

Speaking of the “when”s, he frowned at the sight of the black bracelet on his left hand. The Umbrella Academy crest is added as a bead, but that was nothing but accessorization. It was still the same old restrictive bracelet, just refashioned to look less like one. 

_What a joke. _

Enlightenment comes with questioning. Questioning comes with surprising scenarios. Surprising scenarios push you to rebel. And so, his endless thirst for rebellion got him into a deal with Sir Reginald Hargreeves himself: 

_“**You think you’re winning with this, Number Five? Is this a threat?**”_

Five remembered every word vividly. 

**_“**If you consider it as one, that is,**” Five replied, “**Technically, I’m backing you into a corner so maybe.**” _

_Sir Reginald Hargreeves loomed over him threateningly. His monocle reflecting just the little of the sunbeam passing by the window. He took a deep breath and replied. _

_“**Fine. No punishments for you, One, Two, Three, Four, Six and Seven. I take it you shall not abuse this, hm?**” _

_Five can’t help but grin. His plan actually worked. _

_“**On a condition that you have to give up travelling through time.**” _

_He almost laughed. Is that a joke? That’s the condition? _

_“**What, like a vow? I’ve had that many times already.**” _

_He wasn’t prepared when the headmaster dug through his desk drawer and pulled out a familiar black band._

Five took a deep breath and glared at it still strapped to his arm. Of course, he tried disobeying the rule just like everything else he ever vowed on to no avail. The immense pain on his core numbed the entire left side of his body, as if he was injected with fast-acting poison the moment he tried saying hello to Winston Churchill.

_God, it was so damn annoying, but anything for rebellion, hm?_

He despised nothing more than rules being unfair. If the rules can’t change, then maybe his boundaries can. 

Thanks to Diego’s sudden obsession with some society, he finally had a reason to exercise his newly-earned privilege. This was the exact reason why Two, out of all people, was so sure of this seemingly dangerous mission. 

Five smiled. 

Because no matter how Diego tried to be the rebel, there’s one thing he shared with Luther and it’s something he could never let go. 

_Both of them wanted to play safe_. That’s all there is to it. 

Five browsed the book more until he reached the last few pages; he barely noticed past the same poems and faces. 

His eyes caught on one of the last paragraphs. 

> _Now in this dead society, you will learn to think for yourselves again. You will learn to savor words and language. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world._

He can’t help but understand. Maybe Diego had a point with pursuing this society after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s June 2020 and I only returned because of that one commenter from last chapter. I forgot I started this, I’m so sorry. 
> 
> P.S All throughout writing this, I kept visualizing Luther as APH Germany.
> 
> P.P.S Umbrella Academy just posted the second Season 2 teasers a few minutes after I updated omfg—


End file.
